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About Columbia Gorge news. (The Dalles, OR) 2020-current | View Entire Issue (June 23, 2021)
8 Wednesday, June 23, 2021 Columbia Gorge News www.columbiagorgenews.com HRV grad headed to Stanford on full ride Trisha Walker ■ By Columbia Gorge News shame, I can say that I bawled when I saw my financial aid letter; I couldn’t believe the amazing offer they were giv- HEN RECENT Hood River Valley ing me. Somehow, Stanford High School was my cheapest option … graduate Dora Plascencia- I’m extremely grateful for Macias applied to Stanford their generosity that has University, she thought of it allowed me to attend my as a “reach school” — that is, dream school without having one that would be a stretch to a financial burden.” attend. Plascencia-Macias, who But that’s where she’s lives in Odell, plans to major headed this fall. in political science to prepare “Stanford has always been for law school. “[Stanford my dream school,” she said. is] not only one of the most “I grew up with the idea that selective universities, but I was going to college and they truly care about making I was willing to give it my a change in the world,” she all to get to one of the best said. “… I’m excited to attend schools. I applied listing it in Stanford because they have my brain as a ‘reach’ school. some of the most inspiring I never thought I would get professors in both law and accepted.” psychology fields. They also Stanford was the last to push their students to explore release their decisions, so their interests and seek for when she received her accep- what they’re truly passionate about, so I might find another tance letter, she was sorting way to help people through through other offers — and learned Stanford had offered my studies. My ultimate goal is to reach a point in my life her a full scholarship. where my actions help thou- “Stanford covered every- sands of people. Pursuing thing besides $5,000, which a career in law will help me was covered by local schol- find justice for those who are arships,” she said. “Without W failed by our system.” At Hood River Valley High, Plascencia-Macias was in- volved in leadership classes, serving as ASB president for the 2020-21 school year as well as school board student liaison. She also volunteered with the local woman’s shel- ter, which she credits as a rea- son she is passionate about law, and is part of the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) Latinx/o/a Advisory Group, advocating for the Latino community. “HRV always motivated me to challenge my barriers, and I did,” Plascencia-Macias said. “There is always a mentor awaiting your arrival, but you have to be willing to learn. I gathered my strength through the assistance that I received, but also through the challenges I had to face on my own. “It’s hard being a minority in Hood River and our school system has been a part of that struggle. I recognize that our administration is working towards change, but there is a long way to go,” she said. “I know that I have been prepared for both the educa- tional and life challenges that I will encounter in college due to all the mentors I have gathered throughout the years and the struggles I have overcome.” As for Stanford, Plascencia- Macias knows she got to this point by working hard to fulfill her dream. “I’d like to remind ev- eryone that life is hard and things get in the way of accomplishing your dreams, but you should never give anything minimum effort,” she said. “Sometimes it seems like blowing some- thing off won’t impact the re- sult, but every step of the way leads to the final product. “This opportunity is years in the making,” she said. “There were multiple occasions where I felt like not trying because it wasn’t going to get me where I wanted to be, but now I get to attend my dream school. I didn’t get here because of good luck, I Dora Plascencia-Macias, who graduated from Hood River Valley got here with years of work.” High School earlier this month, will attend Stanford University in the fall. She plans to major in political science and eventually be- come a lawyer. Contributed photo Proposed grant would survey public access roads Historic swimsuit reveals challenges of past Pepin-Wakefield ■ By For Yvonne Columbia Gorge News The woolen swimsuit gift- ed to me came with history, a personal challenge and a les- son in cold water swimming. Could this over a century old garment hold up during a swim from The Best Western Plus beach to the red buoy below the Hood River Bridge and back? I’d done this before in a wet suit and was curious to experience what early open water swimmers experienced wearing one- piece wool suits. Will the six black buttons pop off? When soaked will it stretch out and drag me to the depths? The green swim suit with black piping was previously owned by Mercedes Foley. Born in 1892, she was an ath- letic mother of five. Before her children came, it could be assumed Mercedes wore the suit as a young bride who swam at Foley Lake Ranch, the present-day site of Foley Lakes, West of The Dalles. The suit was given to Mercedes, an Irishwoman with red hair, by her husband Pat, who had a fixation for green. They were married in 1916. After Mercedes’ death in 1977, the suit was among other garments that came into the possession of her granddaughter, Annette Byers, who gave it to me. When I first tried it on, the suit fit more like a form fitting cocktail dress and itched. A hand-sewn label in the neck reads THIS GARMENT 100% VIRGININ WOOL. At the initial fitting, enough moth holes were dis- covered to question whether the suit would fray apart in the water. Bev Tuttle of The Dalles volunteered her darn- ing skills before the first test swim in a salt water, heated indoor pool. Predicting the fabric would stretch proved opposite. After several laps, the skirt had shrunk consid- erably, yet was still comfort- able and very warm. These same insulating properties were not experi- enced months later during a September swim, supported Wildfire mitigation, evacuation routes explored mitigation projects, and also identify hazards for ingres and egress for emergency service professionals and identify evacuation routes,” By Mark Gibson Columbia Gorge News said Kelly Howsley-Glover, long range planner for Wasco County. Once the inventory Rural fire districts in was complete, staff could Wasco County have identi- then assess the inventory to fied access roads in and out identify and prioritize mitiga- of public lands as a “sig- nificant hindrance” to fire tion projects in the county, mitigation efforts and wild- she said. The proposed FEMA grant fire preparedness because of $175,000 would support they are outside the county a three year project. “We road system, and the board intend this to be a collabo- on Wednesday agreed to support a grant proposal that rative effort on the part of would create an inventory planning, public works and of those roads to aide fire surveyor, and emergency mitigation and evacuation management,” she said. efforts. “With fire seasons becoming According to the letter of longer and more devastating, support, “This is a critical we need all available tools strategy for reducing risk to help our partners miti- of wildfire, as it provides gate the risk and impacts of multiple departments and wildfire.” organizations key informa- Wasco county has about 270 miles of public access tion to address hazardous conditions and opportunities roads, according to an estimate by Public Works for mitigation.” Director Arthur Smith. “This is both to identify ■ A swim across the Columbia River in a restored wool swimsuit from the early 1900s inspires thoughts of past swimmers — and hypo- thermia. Contributed photo by a safety paddler, in the 58-degree Columbia River. Even though I wore Lycra bike shorts underneath, the frigid water penetrated the fabric like a sponge, getting heavier as I swam. The hard- er I swam, the harder it was to breathe. As an open water swim- mer and safety paddler for other swimmers, I recog- nized the signs of Swimming Induced Pulmonary Edema, or SIPE, a condition that causes sudden breathless- ness during open water swimming. I’d experienced this once before while wearing a full wet suit and so knew it was time to get to shore and to get warm fast. Dr. Jodi Ready, also a long-distance open water swimmer, has admitted watersport enthusiasts to the hospital emergency depart- ment in repository distress. “The presenting symptoms of SIPE are shortness of breath beyond what you expect and coughing. More likely, it will happen in water cooler than 60 degrees and exercise in these conditions only adds pressure. SIPE can be disconcerting and scary,” she said. Back on beach, the green knit clung tightly to my shivering body and I could see more moth holes than before the swim. Later, hand-washed in Woolite, Mercedes’ dried suit was wrapped in moth-proofing cedar blocks and folded into a tight drawer. It’s doubtful I will take it for a swim again. It’s more certain that, after a full darning, it will suit me better as a cocktail dress. Areas of particular con- cern include the Pine Grove and Mosier areas, Howsley- Glover said. The surveyor crew will use their drone capabilities, or possible a vehicle mounted camera, in making the assessment, she said. “It gives us two sets of low-level data to make the assessments,” she said. “Our planning team has been working hard on this,” said Commissioner Steve Kramer, who said he fully supported the request. Letters of support for the grant were also provided by area fire agencies, emergen- cy planners and the Oregon Department of Forestry, Howsley-Glover told the board. The letter of intent will be submitted to the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, and if they like the proposal they will then be asked to submit the full grant. Regional economic sessions continue Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) is hosting pub- lic sessions to update the region’s Economic Development Strategy for the Columbia River Gorge. MCEDD leads this process every five years to guide economic development for Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties in Oregon and Klickitat and Skamania counties in Washington. The next meeting will be held on June 30 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. This session will focus on an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing the region. The process began in March, with meetings oc- curring monthly via Zoom. Participants from across the region have gathered to discuss COVID-19 impacts on the local economy, changing demographics and economic trends, and how to improve the resilience of key industries in the Gorge. Information gathered at the monthly events will be pulled together with data and research to develop the final plan, the Mid-Columbia Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for 2022-2027. MCEDD coordi- nates implementation of the regional strategy in partner- ship with local stakeholders. In total, there will be seven sessions to develop a draft plan, with a specific focus on equitable economic outcomes and resilience. To view past sessions or register for future ones, visit htwww.mcedd.org/strategy/ get-involved. ••• MCEDD has been devel- oping and implementing a regional economic devel- opment strategy since its formation in 1969 to promote the creation of family-wage jobs, the diversification of the economic base, and the growth, development and retention of business and in- dustry within the five-county district. Contact Jane Allen with questions at jane@ mcedd.org. Your Friends IN THE BRIGHT RED VANS Expert Service & Reliability Quality Sales & Installation • Maintenance programs • Licensed and Bonded • Over 20 years Experience • Factory trained technicians • Furnaces • Air Conditioning • Heat Pumps • Ductless Mini-Splits and much more! 203004 EHEATHA862KN For a limited time only get up to 72 months no interest or 6 months no payments or interest with approved credit on your purchase of a new Heat Pump, AH, or Furnace. Serving the Columbia River Gorge Since 1997 NEW LOCATION IN THE DALLES!